Macri: Through the G20 we are striving to build a future of fair and sustainable development

In his special address today before the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in the Swiss town of Davos, President Mauricio Macri of Argentina presented the priorities and focus of the Argentine presidency of the G20.

“Argentina will bring a view from the south. We want to convey the voice not only of our country, but that of the whole South American region,” said the Argentine President. The G20 presidency is “one of the biggest challenges in Argentina’s history,” he added.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the first Leaders’ Summit in Washington, D.C. “Today, unlike in 2008, global growth is stable,” stated the president, “but it has not reached everyone and this has undermined the confidence many had in globalization. This should be an everyday reminder - we have to do much more.”

The goal is “to build a shared future of fair and sustainable development,” he added, laying out Argentina’s three main priorities for the G20 agenda. First: the future of work. “The G20 should help ensure that technological change will not increase exclusion or social disintegration. Education is at the centre of this debate: the future will require substantial investment in training and updating skills.”

The second priority is infrastructure for development. “It is crucial to mobilize private investment in order to close the global infrastructure gap,” explained Mr. Macri. The third: a sustainable food future. “Argentina is ready to make its contribution to global food security,” he said.

Several minutes later, in a one-on-one dialogue with Børge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, Mr. Macri was asked about the anticipated outcome of the G20 presidency. He emphasized that the technological revolution that society is currently undergoing is bringing fear to many people, a fear that is detrimental because “it does not solve our problems,” hence the importance of working together. “The G20 is a group of countries that cooperate for inclusive growth.”

During the conversation, President Macri highlighted the need to attract private investment in infrastructure and the importance of education. “We must train our children for jobs that don’t yet exist,” he said.

On the need to generate a sustainable food future, he indicated that the challenge is to produce more food and, at the same time, “to combat climate change”. To accomplish this, he said it will be key to count on the support of G20 countries, which represent 60% of total agricultural lands and account for 80% of international trade of agricultural products.